Wastewater Treatment and Biomedical Applications of Montmorillonite Based Nanocomposites: A Review

Background: Rapid industrialisation, population growth and technological race worldwide have brought adverse consequences on water resources and, as a result, affect human health. Toxic metal ions, non-biodegradable dyes, organic pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals are among the chief hazardous materials released into the water bodies from various sources. These hazardous contaminants drastically affect flora and fauna globally, leading to health deterioration, thereby giving rise to new biomedical challenges. Hypothesis: Montmorillonite based nanocomposites (MMTCs) have drawn the attention of the researchers to design environmentally friendly, advanced and hygienic nanocomposites for wastewater treatment and biomedical purposes. Montmorillonite clay possesses peculiar physical and chemical properties that include enhanced surface reactivity, improved rheological performance, exorbitant miscibility in water due to which it shows highly favourable interactions with polymers, drugs, metals, mixed metals and metal oxides, leading to the fabrication of different types of advanced montmorillonite based nanocomposites that have remarkable applications. Methodology: Here, we review the structural characteristics of montmorillonite clay, advances in the synthetic techniques involved in the fabrication of montmorillonite nanocomposites, their applications in wastewater treatment and in biomedical fields. The recently developed montmorillonite nanocomposites for (1) wastewater treatment as nano-adsorbents for the elimination of toxic inorganic species such as metal ions and heterogeneous photo-catalysts for photodegradation of dyes, pesticides and pharmaceuticals (2) biomedical utilization viz drug delivery, wound amelioration, bone cement, tissue engineering, etc., are presented. Conclusion: The review exclusively focuses on recent research on montmorillonite based nanocomposites and their application in wastewater treatment and in biomedical fields.